However, work still needs to be done on reducing energy, water and waste costs from the schools.

The council’s Schools Annual Environment Management Report for 2010/11, reveals the council is pressing schools to do more to conserve energy. It shows costs have gone up due to increases in the cost of oil and electricity.

The amount of energy used by schools did fall by 4.89 per cent, but there is scope for schools to cut their energy performance by 10 to 15 per cent. Lighting costs count for up to 50 per cent of energy spending in schools.

It says while the amount of water used in schools has reduced, Bracknell still fares poorly against national indicators. The report also states schools should reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

The report also gives a number of recommendations for schools, including auditing the waste they produce on site and increasing the range of recycling on their site.

The report was being discussed by the council’s environment, culture and communities overview and scrutiny committee on Tuesday.